Hand tools

ABSTRACT

In a hand tool of the kind comprising two co-operating members which are arranged to be moved towards and away from one another by handles which are connected to the respective co-operating members, there is provided two abutment members, each abutment member being secured to a respective handle, whereby movement together of said handles is limited by engagement of said abutment members one with the other.

[J'nited States Patent Rogers 1 Feb. 12, 1974 HAND TOOLS 2,965,967 l2/l960 Wahl 30/34l Inventor: Edward A. g Ashford 3,675,359 7/l972 Ohno 30/27] Common, England Primary ExaminerJames L. Jones, Jr. [73] Assignee. gllllunsgm Sword Lumted, London, Assistant Examiner l C. Peters ng an Attorney, Agent, or Firm--Wolfe, Hubbard, Leydig, [22] Filed: June 30, 1972 Voit & Osann, Ltd.

[21] Appl. No.: 268,018

. [57] ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Application Priority Data I h dt 1 fth d t n a an 00 o e in comprising wo co-opera mg July 15, 1971 Great Britain 33,258/71 members which are arranged to be moved towards and away from one another by handles which are conil. nected to the respective co operating members, there [58] Fie'ld 26 262 is provided two abutment members, each abutment 6 member being secured to a respective handle, whereby movement together of said handles is limited [56] Refere d by engagement of said abutment members one with nces l e the other. UNITED STATES PATENTS 555,778 3/1896 Landrum 30/271 X 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures muted Feb. 1 2, 1974 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HAND TOOLS The invention relates to hand tools. More particularly the invention relates to hand tools of the kind comprising two co-operating members which are arranged to be moved towards and away from one another by handles which are connected to the respective co-operating members.

According to the present invention there is provided a hand tool of the kind comprising two co-operating members which are arranged to be moved towards and away from one another by handles which are coupled to the respective co-operating members, wherein an abutment member is secured to each handle for limiting the movement of said handles towards one another.

One construction of hand tool, in accordance with the invention, will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a part sectional front elevation of the tool,

FIG. 2 is a part sectional side elevation of the tool,

FIG. 3 is a section on the line IIIIII in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 4 is a section on the line IVIV in FIG. 1.

The tool to be described is designed for use as a garden shear and comprises two cutting blades l0, 11 each united by rivets l2, 13 to a respective tang member 14, 15. Each tang member 14, 15 has a handle l6, 17 secured at the end of the tang member remote from the blades 10, 11. In the region where the blades 10, 11 and tang members 14, 15 overlap the blades 10, 11 are connected in pivotal relationship by a pivot bolt 18 whose head is accommodated in a hole 15a in the tang member 15, the nut 19 and retaining washer 20 of the bolt 18 being accommodated in a hole 14a in the tang member 14 and covered by a cap 27.

Each tang member 14, 15 carries an abutment member 21, 22, each having a respective longitudinal slot 210, 22a, so that in assembly the aubtment member 21, 22 can be pushed over its respective tang member 14, 15 and located in desired position thereon by engagement of a tongue (only one of which 15b is visible in the drawing) on the tang member 14, 15 in a correspondingly shaped recess (only one of which 22b is visible in the drawing) in the slot of the abutment member 21, 22. As shown in FIG. 3 the end of each abutment member 21, 22 remote from the pivot bolt 18 is so shaped as to be accommodated in the upper end of the bore of the respective handle 16, 17 which in assembly is passed over the end of the respective tang member 14, 15, appropriately shaped for this purpose. Each handle l6, 17 is secured to the end of its associated tang mem ber 14, 15 by adhesive, thereby trapping the respective abutment member 21, 22 in position on the tang memher.

The abutment members 21, 22 have opposing faces in which a respective recess 21c, 22c is provided each of which is lined by a tubular metal insert 23, 24 moulded in the abutment member 21, 22 during formation thereof. Resilient stop buttons 25, 26 are pressed into the respective inserts 23, 24, and have a serrated periphery which engages the inner surface of the respective insert. During use of the shear the buttons 25, 26 serve to cushion the termination of each cutting stroke. Without the metal inserts 23, 24, the repeated compression of the buttons 25, 26, during use might serve to expand the diameter of the recesses 21c, 220 so that the buttons 25, 26 would become loose.

A suitable material for the abutment members 21, 22 and the handles 16, 17 is expanded polystyrene which can be moulded in the desired shapes. It will be appreciated that the abutment members 21, 22 are identical.

Whilst the invention has been described in its application to garden shears it will be appreciated that it is also applicable to other hand tools of the kind specifled, whether or not the co-operating members are used for cutting or for other purposes.

1 claim:

1. In a hand tool of the kind comprising two cooperating members which are arranged to be moved towards and away from one another by handles which are connected to the respective co-operating members by tangs each of which carries a respective handle;

two abutment members, each abutment member having a side slot, a lower end of reduced dimensions, and a recess in its upper end, each abutment member being mounted on a respective one of said tangs with a portion of the tang being accommodated in said side slot, each tang having a tongue which engages with said recess, each handle having an aperture which accommodates said lower end.

2. A hand tool according to claim 1, wherein each abutment member is a moulding of expanded polystyrene.

3. A hand tool according to claim 2, wherein a metal lined recess is provided in each abutment member in which is fitted a resilient stop member, the stop members facing one another and serving to cushion the termination of each closing of the handles.

4. A hand tool according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the co-operating members has a cutting edge. 

1. In a hand tool of the kind comprising two co-operating members which are arranged to be moved towards and away from one another by handles which are connected to the respective cooperating members by tangs each of which carries a respective handle; two abutment members, each abutment member having a side slot, a lower end of reduced dimensions, and a recess in its upper end, each abutment member being mounted on a respective one of said tangs with a portion of the tang being accommodated in said side slot, each tang having a tongue which engages with said recess, each handle having an aperture which accommodates said lower end.
 2. A hand tool according to claim 1, wherein each abutment member is a moulding of expanded polystyrene.
 3. A hand tool according to claim 2, wherein a metal lined recess is provided in each abutment member in which is fitted a resilient stop member, the stop members facing one another and serving to cushion the termination of each closing of the handles.
 4. A hand tool according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the co-operating members has a cutting edge. 